Jefferson City police hope to slow down drivers

JEFFERSON CITY - The Jefferson City Police Department wants to lower the amount of speeding-related crashes in the city.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol's Statistical Analysis Center found there were 3,308 crashes with speed as a contributing factor in 2012 in Missouri. The center also found there were 493 speeding-related crashes in Jefferson City from 2011 to 2014. Jefferson City police Captain Doug Shoemaker said the number is too high.

"So, we want to inform the public first of all they need to pay better attention to driving," Shoemaker said.

The Jefferson City Police Department will heavily enforce speeding violations from June 26th until July 4th. Shoemaker said.

"What we're trying to do is gain compliance before we have to go out and enforce and I think that's important in that we're not there to just go out and write a bunch of tickets. The point is for the public to pay attention and to observe the speed limit for their safety and the safety of other motorists and the workers so we don't have to write the tickets," he said.

The police department will be focusing primarily on the Lafayette Street interchange construction zone on U.S. 50/63. Shoemaker said drivers often speed through the area and endanger road workers and other drivers.

The Missouri State Highway patrol found there were 5,464 crashes in Missouri work zones from 2012 to 2014. They also found 29 people were killed in work zone crashes from 2011 to 2013.

Shoemaker said the increased speed enforcement, including extra officers, is not to intimidate drivers but to make Missouri roads safer.

"Sometimes, public reception is that we're just out to write a bunch of tickets. In this case that's not it at all. Just the opposite, we want people to comply with the law for their safety and the safety of the workers," he said.